Elizabeth Whitehawk
Elizabeth Whitehawk
Elizabeth Whitehawk was the daughter of a fisherman. She learned the sailing trade from her father, and as soon as she was old enough, she joined him on his fishing voyages out to sea. As she gained experience, she inherited more of the duties of the family business.
Elizabeth has always been a fine judge of character. This was first evident when she met Bryn. Most people only saw a stringy and hyperactive 6 year old, but Elizabeth saw something more. She invited the girl to join her on fishing trips, and Bryn proved to be a most adept assistant. Over the years, under Elizabeth’s watchful eye, Bryn grew up to be quite the sailor. Eventually, the two inherited the business and the ship. With a broad grin – and to Elizabeth’s dismay – Bryn started calling her “Captain.”
The two went on to make a humble, but successful living. Both of them would have been content as fish in the wide blue sea had fate not dealt them a peculiar hand.
One late night on their return from a long day at sea, Elizabeth saw smoke rising above the small port-town she called home, and a great 3-masted warship with crimson sails anchored in the bay. Pirates! She ordered Bryn to quench the lamps and turned the sloop around, beaching it on a bank not far from town. The pair snuck into town to survey the damage and assess what they could do.
Upon entering the town, they were set upon by three pirates. The pirates underestimated Bryn’s strength and Elizabeth’s guile and were quickly dispatched. Elizabeth ordered Bryn to find other villagers to organize a counterattack while she liberated a saber and pistol from the bodies. As soon as Bryn was out of earshot, a strange blue elf approached Elizabeth – his rapier drawn at the ready.
“Where did you come from?” he demanded.
Elizabeth could see that the elf was a trained fighter and she would be no match for him. She felt foolish for getting caught! She wondered though – why hadn’t this stranger attacked when he had the element of surprise? She decided that, since he seemed to be honorable, she should at least be honest. “My boat is beached just to the south – we turned aside when we saw the smoke.”
“Then it is fortunate that my captain ordered me to kill everyone in town.” He replied in an emotionless tone.
“But,” Elizabeth paused, “I am in town.”
“You were not when my captain gave the order.”
“You don’t seem to be a pirate.”
“I am as long as my captain is.”
Elizabeth raised her pistol, “I believe I can see to that.”
By daybreak, Elizabeth found herself aboard the deck of the pirate ship with Bryn at her back and the pirate captain laid out before her. A thin stream of smoke wafted from the muzzle of her pistol as she looked about the ship and finally took in the events of the evening. Bryn smiled broadly, “So… we get to keep the ship, right Captain?”
Elizabeth sighed, as she looked up to her tall friend, “We can’t possibly sail a ship this big.”
“I can teach you.” The blue elf was walking up the gangplank, a wry smile on his lips. “The Crimson Drake is yours, Captain Whitehawk.”